Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Gemini (Gem)  ·  Contains:  NGC 2371
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Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO, Douglas J Struble
Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO
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Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO

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Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO, Douglas J Struble
Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO
Powered byPixInsight

Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO

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Description

The object, called NGC 2371, is a planetary nebula, the glowing remains of a Sun-like star. The remnant star visible at the centre of NGC 2371 is the super-hot core of the former red giant, now stripped of its outer layers. Its surface temperature is a scorching 240,000 degrees Fahrenheit. NGC 2371 lies about 4,300 light-years away in the constellation Gemini.

A planetary nebula is an expanding cloud of gas ejected from a star that is nearing the end of its life. The nebula glows because of ultraviolet radiation from the hot remnant star at its centre. In only a few thousand years the nebula will dissipate into space. The central star will then gradually cool down, eventually becoming a white dwarf, the final stage of evolution for nearly all stars.

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    Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO, Douglas J Struble
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    Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO, Douglas J Struble
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Description: Featured in Astronomy Magazine August 2019

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Rare NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula in HOO, Douglas J Struble

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Planetary Nebulae